There’s an old joke about the Chicken and the Pig wanting to do something nice for the farmer. The Chicken suggests an Eggs and Bacon breakfast. The Pig reminds the Chicken, “For you, Eggs are a Contribution. For me, Bacon is a Full Commitment!”
When you sign a lease or buy a building you are legally “all in”, the sellers demand that you fulfill your part of the agreement. But is the same thing true for you when you show up for work each day? How about your coworkers: are they contributing or committing?
A friend of mine once asked his colleague, “How many people work for you?” The reply was, “Only about half of them.” Hmmm. What would your answer be? People tend to do what they think is worth doing. They also tend to support and work for people who care about them. Those are two critical elements in the Human A.I. formula. “All In is the result of Meaningful Work and Feeling Valued.”
Meaningful Work
We all know that transmissions are important for vehicles, and very important to the operators of those vehicles. But that doesn’t make them meaningful to us as individuals. We need to be convinced of their importance, sold on the value of keeping them operating well. It needs to have meaning to “me”. The same is true for those supportive activities that are not “customer facing.”
Things like accurate recordkeeping, documenting information right away, and passing along information that others may need. When records aren’t current, parts aren’t logged clearly, and updates are delayed… mistakes happen. Cleanliness is another not-so-obvious priority. A clean work area is a safer area. A clean shop floor is not only safer, it is a statement to the customers and the world that you take pride in where you work and what you do.
Consider the military; in boot camp the drill sergeants insist that your gear is squared away, your bunk is made, your uniform is cared for and worn properly, and much more. Basic Training is very demanding, for a reason. Military basic training is where troops are taught to obey orders immediately and take initiative on any need they encounter. Things as “trivial” as picking up a piece trash, aligning their shirt and belt, cleaning the latrine, folding the flag, and marching in perfect formation, upon further inspection, are very important. Why? Because that’s where you convert a new recruit into a soldier, sailor, Marine or airman. That’s where they become a solution source instead of just another person. That’s where teamwork, which in the military is a life-or-death factor, is learned both intellectually and emotionally. There are no mere participants in an Army, everyone is All In! Also, if everyone learns the same “SOP: standard operating procedure” for routine things, then everyone is capable of dealing with it properly. Some things require unique approaches, but most things can be done the same way every time.
Make it Meaningful
When explaining a task, it is very helpful to always add the following words, “What this means to you is…” Tell them why it matters to others and then show them how it matters to them too. Show how each person’s work fits into the system that allows others to do their work well. And constantly remind everyone of how their successful work affects the customer’s satisfaction and peace of mind. People who merely perform tasks are no more valuable than a piece of machinery, and they can be just as easily replaced. People who provide value through their work are part of the “business family” and unlikely to be easily replaced. Show them that they matter…and show them often.
Feeling Valued
One of my friends, a business owner, told me, “I don’t tell my people when they are doing well. I correct them when they are not. Their paycheck should be all the ‘thank you’ that they need.”
My reply was, “Karl, if I worked for you, my head would explode! I’d resign in the first week.” Personally, I thrive on positive feedback. I need to hear occasionally that I’ve done well. Constant praise or superficial “attaboys” aren’t needed but sincere acknowledgment when I do well, is a vital need for me.
Some of your coworkers will be content with rare compliments, thank you’s, or pats on the back. But others will never thrive without it. Get to know the unique needs of each person and, in general, get into the habit of offering a word, nod, smile, handshake or thumbs up most of the time.
People don’t leave jobs, they leave employers, bad bosses. On the other hand, people who truly know that their employer values them will go above and beyond the job description to make him or her proud.
This is something you should encourage between coworkers as well. Make it part of your shop’s culture that “We acknowledge good behavior.” This can be as simple as saying, “Jimmy sure had my back on that rebuild. With all the challenges we had, I was stretched thin, and he stepped in without being asked. Thanks Jimbo.” Or, “I know you didn’t have time to do that data input, but you gave up your break to assure I had it in time.”
A lot of people in technical professions think that the technical performance IS the job. Not true, it is the part we contract to do, but the job, the real job is producing the outcome that is worth paying for. As Dennis Madden often says, “It is the ‘in the door’ and ‘out the door’ parts.” What we really get paid to do is put the customer confidently back on the road. That means treating them well too. They want to know that you care about helping them.
Fix the customer first, then the automobile. If they have an emergency first help resolve the emergency, then fix the transmission. Customers want to know that you and your team are A.I. for their repair.
Are you All In?
Jim Cathcart, CSP, CPAE is a longtime friend of ATRA and contributor to GEARS magazine. Jim coauthored HI-REV for Small Business with Dennis Madden. He is a Mentor to Expert Based Businesses, a Business Advisor who helps people become a Certified Professional Expert, CPE™. Contact Jim at info@cathcart.com or www.jimcathcart.com.
